How to Defeat Big Brother and Reclaim Your Freedom

How to Defeat Big Brother and Reclaim Your Freedom:

"...George Orwell's 1984 is the story of a future society where individualism has been eliminated, where propaganda is used to control the masses, and where perpetual war is being waged to maintain the 'peace.' It's a world where false is true and wrong is right, where history is constantly being rewritten to support whatever the regime is currently doing--and where Big Brother watches your every move.

It can be summed up in the word's of one of 1984's characters, O'Brien, when he said:

'If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever.'

But even in the middle of this totalitarian 'utopia,' there is one man--Winston Smith--who dares to question authority, and who seeks a life and love for himself.

The parallels between our modern world and that of George Orwell's 1984 are uncanny. The Ministry of Truth, the Thought Police, the political manipulation of language to distort reality, the hidden censorship of political correctness, and the war on terror as a control mechanism--all echo the themes of 1984.

... In 1984, the ordinary people were completely subjugated because of the state's control over information. The control was total.

In contrast, the internet bypasses the state information control apparatus. On the 'net, one has access to nonofficial news sources and opinions. It is literally impossible to censor the bulk of what goes on online.

The internet also provides a communication medium for other freedom-promoting technologies--like the digital camera. Previously, news images were the sole domain of the professional media. Not any more. Now anyone, anywhere, can upload a photo and have it visible to the whole world in minutes.

In this way, the modern aspiring "total" state has serious competition, because it cannot fully control the flow of information--as was the case in Orwell's 1984.

Even states like China cannot hope to completely control the internet. Oh sure, they try. They block access to the main news site of BBC.com. Ho-hum. They block other specified domains. They are seeking ways to enforce content control on those who host sites. But this is all petty stuff in the face of determined efforts to thwart such control. I know, I've spent many months in China--and I had no problem accessing the many potential "no-go" sites I frequent.

... The computer screen in your home or office is not a one-way propaganda tool. No, it is an interactive tool at your personal disposal. YOU can choose what to read. YOU can choose how to communicate, and with whom. YOU can choose the nature of the relationships your forge. YOU are in the driver's seat."